Chapter 9
NINE
Ariana
Grayson and I locked eyes, and I could see the confusion settling on his face.
Me, standing there in front of Ana?s. With Stephen Hale.
And I prayed he couldn’t see the hurt on mine. Seeing him with her and watching him kiss her, holding her the way he used to hold me.
That must be his fiancée, Lila. He had moved on. He found someone to take my place. I knew she was the first serious relationship he had after me, and she must have meant a lot to him. He proposed to her within a year.
It took him three years to propose to me.
I shook my head, trying to push the thought away. Why was I even comparing? It was pointless. It didn’t matter anymore.
Stephen’s voice pulled me back.
“That’s him, isn’t it?”
I nodded slowly.
“That must be hard, seeing that,” he said, and I felt his gaze settle on me.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I replied quietly.
“It does,” Stephen said gently. “It’s still there, written all over your face.”
I looked up, finding his eyes soft on mine.
“I can kiss you right now if you want,” he said with a grin. “Let him see it.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “That’s not how I want to get back at him. You know that.”
“Why not?” His grin widened. “Sometimes the high school bitches’ drama approach works best.”
I frowned. Stephen could be so playful with me sometimes, and it always caught me off guard. Around everyone else, he was composed and in control, every bit the thirty-nine-year-old CFO of a multibillion-dollar company he actually was.
“They’re engaged, Stephen. That’s not the same.”
“Not the same because we’re friends with benefits?”
My frown deepened. “I really hate it when you call us that.”
He just laughed and pinched my chin affectionately.
“Then what do you want me to call us?”
I looked at him, unsure how to answer. I honestly didn’t know.
“See?” he said softly. “You still don’t know. So, for now, we’ll stick with that.”
I huffed, turned around, and walked toward Ana?s, knowing it was pointless to argue with him.
“Ari,” he chuckled as he followed behind me. “Come on, don’t pout. You know that only makes me want to kiss you more.”
“Shut up, Stephen.”
But the moment I stepped inside, I stopped. My eyes swept across the room, and I froze, my heart pounding in my chest as a wave of emotion washed over me. I felt suddenly overwhelmed.
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen the inside of my restaurant. I had been here countless times before, overseeing every step. But this time was different. This was the first time I saw it finished. No more workers moving around. No more staff in training or last-minute briefings.
Everything was ready. Everything was perfect.
Every detail, every finish, every corner was exactly the way I had envisioned it.
I really needed to pat myself on the back for this.
“Good job, Ari,” I heard Stephen’s voice beside me. “You’ve done a fantastic job with the place.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, my voice still a little shaky, the emotions still catching up to me. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
“Without my mother, you mean,” he corrected smoothly. “I’ve done nothing but offer some encouraging words... and occasionally help relieve your stress in bed.”
I didn’t even have to look at him to know he was grinning.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I breathed, glancing around me. “I can’t believe it’s all finally coming together.”
“Yes,” he said, his voice softer this time. “It’s beautiful.”
When I looked up at him, he was already watching me. I looked away quickly.
“I need to find Allen,” I said, more to break the moment than anything else. My eyes drifted around the space. “Where is he?”
Then I spotted him coming out of the service station, his eyes glued to the iPad in his hand.
“Allen!” I called out.
He looked up and broke into a bright smile, hurrying over.
“Oh my God, Ari,” he said, beaming as he took my hand. “Can you believe it? It’s finally happening.”
I couldn’t help but smile back. Allen’s grin was infectious.
“After all our hard work, Allen. It’s finally here.”
“I’m so proud of myself, and not even a little embarrassed to say it,” he chuckled, before his eyes landed on Stephen.
“Hi, Stephen,” Allen said, turning to him, his smile growing even wider. He looked up to Stephen so much and was always eager for his approval. “So, what do you think of the place?”
“Looks perfect,” Stephen replied, genuine warmth in his voice. “Congratulations to both of you.”
“Oh, well, we’re not open yet, and I’m still on pins and needles about the opening,” Allen said with a nervous laugh. Then he paused, like something just clicked in his mind. “The owner of Belrose came in earlier. Grayson Mercer. He said he wanted to meet you.”
I nodded, swallowing. Allen didn’t know about my past with Grayson, but he definitely knew our goal was to beat Belrose.
“If he comes back, tell him to make an appointment,” I said evenly.
“Sure,” Allen replied, then grinned. “He’s hot, you know. Your competition? Seriously hot.” He chuckled again. “You really have to see him for yourself.”
He was probably trying to make Stephen jealous. Allen had always been our biggest cheerleader, constantly nudging us closer together.
I didn’t respond to that, but I felt my body tense for reasons I couldn’t quite explain.
Then I felt Stephen lean in, his voice barely a whisper against my ear.
“I’m hotter. Just look at me, and you’ll be fine.”
A soft laugh slipped out before I could stop it. He could be so ridiculous at times, and yet it always made my chest feel a little lighter.
But Stephen knew me in a way no one else did. He knew the heartbreak I carried, the pain tied to my past with Grayson, and the fire that pushed me to do all of this.
“Oh, here he is!” Allen said, peering over my shoulder. “He came back.”
And just like that, the tension returned.
I didn’t even need to turn around. I could feel it, the shift in the air, the way my body reacted before my mind caught up.
It was him. I just knew.
Stephen turned first, facing Grayson. Slowly, I followed.
Allen, completely unaware of the tension thickening the air, practically bounced over to Grayson.
“This is Ariana Sutton, the owner of the place,” he said brightly, standing between us. “And this is Grayson Mercer, the owner of Belrose.”
Then his eyes flicked between Grayson and me before shifting to Stephen.
“And this is Stephen Hale, our partner.”
Stephen was the first to move. He stepped forward and offered his hand to Grayson, his expression slipping back into that composed, unreadable calm he wore around most people.
“Mr. Mercer,” Stephen said. “Nice to meet you.”
Grayson took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “Likewise, Mr. Hale.”
Then his eyes found me. His gaze lingered as he released Stephen’s hand.
“Ariana,” he said, my name leaving his mouth like an exhale. “I have to admit… this is a surprise.”
“Oh,” Allen gasped. “You two already know each other?”
“We go way back, Allen,” Grayson said, his eyes still fixed on mine.
“Right! Of course!” Allen said brightly, completely missing the weight in the air. “She’s from this town, too. Makes sense you’d know each other.”
Neither of us said a word about that.
Grayson and I stared at each other, the silence taut like a wire ready to snap. Then I felt Stephen’s hand brush against mine, solid and grounding. He was reminding me I wasn’t alone.
“I hope it’s not too much of a shock,” I said, my voice calm on the surface.
“Oh, it is,” Grayson replied, his jaw tightening. “You vanished for years, and now you show up again.” His eyes swept slowly over the space around us. “With all of this.”
“Why is it such a shock?” It was Stephen who asked, drawing Grayson’s attention.
Grayson paused before answering. “Maybe it’s because of our history. Ariana and I have a past.” His eyes cut back to me, sharp and unflinching. “And now you’ve chosen a location directly across from Belrose.”
“It’s the best location in town,” I replied, completely unapologetic. “Why should I settle for anything less?”
Grayson took a deep breath, clearly struggling to keep his composure. “There are plenty of good locations in town. But you deliberately picked the one right across from mine.”
I smiled. Good. He was starting to feel threatened.
He had no idea what he was up against. Although I’m new to this industry, I’ve learned from the best—the Hales.
“Belrose is the top restaurant in town,” I said calmly, playing it down. “And we haven’t even opened our doors yet. I’m sure we’re nothing you need to worry about.”
He stared at me for a long moment, then looked down, shaking his head slightly. When his eyes met mine again, his voice was cold.
“Sure. Good luck with the opening, Ariana. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
“Of course,” I said, offering him my most polished, insincere smile. “And I’ll do my best to stay polite.”
He didn’t say anything in response, just gave Stephen a curt nod before turning and walking away.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Allen turned to me, eyes wide.
“I don’t get it,” he said, looking confused. “Why did that feel so tense? What happened between you two? What kind of past are we talking about here?”
My eyes were still locked on the door long after it closed behind him. Allen’s voice barely registered.
Stephen reached for my hand and gave it a gentle tug.
“Come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s go up to your office. There’s wine up there, right? We need to celebrate.”
“That’s a great idea,” Allen perked up. “I’ll—”
“Nope. You’re staying here,” Stephen said, already guiding me toward the back stairs. “You’ve got a lot of work waiting.”
Allen stood there, mouth agape in protest, and I glanced over my shoulder, mouthing, Sorry.
We walked in silence, his hand holding mine the entire way. When we reached my office, he quietly closed the door behind us, then stood in front of me, looking concerned.
“I’m fine, Stephen,” I said with a tired sigh, trying to step away, but he held me in place by gently gripping my arms. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I’ve never seen you like that,” he murmured. “It got to me more than I expected.”
“I’m really fine,” I repeated, pulling away and walking over to my desk. “I have a lot to do before the opening. Are you staying?”
“Of course,” he said, and I heard the resigned sigh in his voice. “I’m here in this town for you.” He looked around the room. “So where’s that wine you’ve been keeping?”
“Over there.” I pointed to the corner where boxes of sample wines were stacked. “Glasses are in the cabinet.”
He grabbed a bottle, found two glasses, and came over to sit across from me. He poured the wine and slid a glass in front of me.
“Just a sip,” he said. “Take the edge off.”
I scowled at him but took a sip anyway. “I’m not on edge.”
“Sure,” he muttered, sipping from his glass.
I ignored him and pulled my laptop from my bag. “I’m going to work now. Don’t stare at me, okay? It’s distracting.”
“But I want to stare…” he said teasingly, smiling. “I want to distract you from this grand plan of revenge you’ve been cooking.”
I rolled my eyes and opened my inbox, refusing to bite.
“Ari.”
His voice shifted, lower, more serious. “It’s good that you have Ana?s.
And you know I’ll always have your back.
My mother, too. But maybe it’s time to focus on building something for you, not just to prove a point.
Not to punish him. You could go so much further if you weren’t dragging that weight around all the damn time. ”
I glanced at him briefly. He looked genuinely worried, but I turned back to my laptop.
Then he muttered, “And for the record, I didn’t like the way he looked at you.”
That made me look up again. “He looked at me like I betrayed him, Stephen. Like he hated me.”
Stephen shook his head slowly. “No. He looked at you the way I look at you.”
I leaned back in my chair, staring at him. “And what way is that?”
“Like he wanted to hold your stubborn face in his hands and kiss you.”